1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector in which a terminal inserted into a connector housing is locked by a retainer.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, connectors have been known (refer to, for example, JP-A-2003-51352). FIG. 7 is a sectional view which shows a connector and a retainer operating jig which are disclosed in JP-A-2003-51352.
Referring to FIG. 7, in a connector, a retainer inserting opening 101 is provided in a female housing 100 in a direction (in FIG. 7, in a vertical direction) which intersects an inserting direction (in the figure, in a horizontal direction) of a female side terminal metallic fixture 110 at substantially right angles, and a retainer 120 is inserted from the relevant direction.
A jig inserting opening 102 is provided in an edge portion of the retainer inserting opening 101 along an inclined direction in such a manner as to communicate with an engagement hole 121 provided in the retainer 120. The jig inserting opening 102 makes a retainer operating jig 130 which is inserted therein reach the engagement hole 121 of the retainer 120. Namely, by being operated by making use of the principle of lever in such a state that the retainer operating jig 130 is inserted into the retainer hole 121 from the jig inserting opening 102 in the inclined direction, the retainer operating jig 130 displaces the retainer 120 from a proper locking position to a temporary locking position.
With the conventional connector structure shown in FIG. 7, however, when the connector structure is applied to a lever type connector or a connector in which a protection wall is provided outside a connector housing, the retainer inserting opening 101 and the jig inserting opening 102 in the female housing 100 are located inside a lever rotatably mounted on a connector housing of a female connector in the lever type connector or inside the protection wall provided outside the connector housing.
Because of this, the retainer operating jib 130 cannot be inserted into the jig inserting opening 102 and the engagement hole 121 of the retainer 120, leading to a problem that the cancellation of locking of the retainer 120 by the retainer operating jig 130 cannot be implemented without removing the lever of the lever type connector and the protection wall.
In addition, the retainer operating jig 130 is inserted from the jig inserting opening 102 in the female housing 100 into the engagement hole 121 in the retainer 120 in the inclined direction, so as to displace the retainer 120 to the temporary locking position by making use of the principle of lever. Because of this, in the event that the retainer operating jig 130 is operated more than required, there has been a possibility that the locking mechanism between the female housing 100 and the retainer 120, the jig inserting opening 102 of the female housing 100 and the engagement hole 121 of the retainer 120 fail.
Furthermore, the inserting direction of the retainer operating jig 130 into the jig inserting opening 102 in the female housing 100 and the engagement hole 121 in the retainer 120 is the inclined direction. Because of this, in order to perform a smooth and ensured operation, the construction and configuration of the retainer operating jig 130 need to be special, leading to a problem that the production costs are increased.